Path of Exile: Keepers of the Flame
Prepare to rekindle the flames of adventure – Path of Exile is set to launch its next major expansion, Keepers of the Flame, arriving on October 31, 2025 (version 3.27.0). This new chapter promises a fiery resurgence of the ARPG’s signature depth and complexity, as players gear up to battle the Hiveborn in an uprising that spans Wraeclast’s darkest corners.
From overhauls to the Atlas and Passive Trees to new items, mechanics, and lore, “Keepers of the Flame” aims to be one of the most ambitious expansions yet. Whether you're a veteran exile or a newcomer stepping into this brutal world, expect refined systems, heated encounters, and countless build possibilities that will keep you engaged long after the first act ends.
Path of Exile: Keepers of the Flame Release Date
The highly anticipated Path of Exile: Keepers of the Flame expansion has officially been confirmed by Grinding Gear Games for release on October 31, 2025. The full reveal will take place on October 23, 2025, giving players their first in-depth look at new gameplay systems, league mechanics, and balance updates that will redefine the Path of Exile experience.
Launching just before Halloween, this fiery expansion will bring new lore-driven challenges and a dark thematic twist that fits perfectly with the season. Fans can expect new league content, endgame reworks, and fresh build opportunities that will shake up both casual and hardcore metas alike. Whether you're preparing your Atlas strategies or theorycrafting your next build, October 31 marks the day the flames of Wraeclast are reignited.
Lore: Wield the Flame Against the Hiveborn
In Path of Exile: Keepers of the Flame, the world of Wraeclast once again trembles beneath the shadow of an ancient evil. The expansion delves deeper into the Breach storyline, uncovering new horrors emerging from rifts between dimensions. These chaotic forces, known as the Hiveborn, are entities that thrive in corruption and feed on the lingering energy of the Breach itself. As the Exile, your task is to take up the sacred Flame – a power of cleansing and rebirth – to seal the breaches and push back the infestation before it consumes reality itself.
The story explores the duality of fire as both a weapon of destruction and a source of hope. The Keepers are ancient guardians who once contained the Breach’s corruption using the eternal Flame, but their order has long since fallen into ruin. Now, as chaos spreads once more, you must recover their lost relics, reignite the Flame, and reclaim what was once lost to the darkness. Expect haunting visual storytelling, cryptic lore tablets, and new NPCs tied to the mysterious legacy of the Flamebearers.
This lore expansion seamlessly ties into existing mythos while expanding the narrative frontier of Path of Exile, setting the stage for what could be one of the game’s most thematically rich and visually striking story arcs yet.
The Full Revelation: League Mechanism and Core Gameplay Overhaul
The Keepers of the Flame Challenge League transcends a simple return to the Breach; it's a profound, systemic overhaul. The hostile Hiveborn entities are now methodically building their foul structures across Wraeclast. To fight this escalation, players align with Ailith, the devoted monk who leads the new Order of the Keepers of the Flame.
League Mechanics: Defence, Ritual, and Instability
- The core gameplay loop involves finding areas infested by the Hiveborn and defending Ailith as she channels the sacred Flame to purge and demolish the threatening structures.
- Alternatively, contact with a monumental Breach Hand can open an Unstable Breach, forcing the Exile to quickly slaughter the influx of monsters to stabilise the dimensional rift.
The Genesis Tree: The New Atlas Meta
The Keepers' Monastery, your new hub, houses the most impactful system change: the Genesis Tree. This organic machine serves as a second Atlas Passive Tree for Path of Exile 1, acting as a living workshop.
- Players invest Passive Skill Points into the Genesis Tree to influence the types of twisted rewards it can yield.
- The Tree generates a new item class called Grafts – breach-flesh appendages that can be fused directly to your body to grant otherworldly powers.
Fundamental Quality-of-Life and System Overhauls
The 3.27 patch delivers numerous highly requested, fundamental improvements that reshape the day-to-day experience across Wraeclast.
Character & Passive Tree Flexibility
- Instant Tree Respecs: The entire main Passive Tree and Atlas Passive Tree can now be refunded instantly by paying a cost equivalent to gold, granting unprecedented build flexibility.
- Gem Management: New controls allow for "level up all" gems with a single click and the ability to "lock level" on specific gems.
- Persistent Spectres: The Souls of your defeated Spectres will linger with you and automatically revive into their normal spectral form upon entering a new instance.
- New Ascendancies: The expansion includes the introduction of 10 new Ascendancy classes and a major, much-needed rework to the Assassin class.
Economy and Inventory Management
- Mass Identification: Act NPCs (including Helena) can now identify all items in your inventory instantly, and this process no longer requires Scrolls of Wisdom.
- Trading Revolution: Asynchronous trading is implemented via Merchant's Tabs, finally decoupling the buying and selling process from the seller's online status.
- Heist Quality of Life: All Heist Rogues now start at their maximum job levels, eliminating the early grind and allowing immediate access to high-tier contracts.
Crafting and Mapping Efficiency
- Orb Alternation: Holding the Alt key now instantly switches the effect between an Orb of Alteration and an Orb of Augmentation for efficient magic item crafting.
- Essence Management: Vaal Orbs now replace the functionality of Remnants of Corruption, simplifying the corruption of Essences. Furthermore, the general convenience of handling Corrupted Essences has been improved.
- Beast Collection: Bestiary Beasts can be itemised for free directly from the interface using Ctrl + LMB.
- Blight Chests: Opening one Blight chest now opens the entire cluster of remaining chests in the encounter.
- Rog & Kirac: Disenchanting services are now readily available through Rog in town, and Kirac mission maps clearly indicate the mission type with an icon.
New Skills and Balance
The expansion introduces a suite of new Skill and Support Gems, including powers related to Kineticism, powerful whirlwinds, and fiery bombardments. These are complemented by a major skill rebalance featuring buffs to popular skills like Boneshatter and Elemental Hit.
Conclusion
The Path of Exile: Keepers of the Flame expansion stands as one of the most promising updates in recent memory. By blending new story elements tied to the Breach saga with impactful quality-of-life improvements, Grinding Gear Games continues to push the boundaries of what an ARPG can offer. From Heist reworks and Atlas passive flexibility to the mysterious battle against the Hiveborn, this expansion promises both depth and excitement for long-time players and newcomers alike.
Whether you’re chasing endgame maps, diving into lore, or experimenting with new builds, Keepers of the Flame is set to reignite the fire of Wraeclast once again when it launches on October 31, 2025.
FAQ
The Keepers of the Flame expansion officially releases on October 31, 2025. The full reveal presentation by Grinding Gear Games occurred on October 23, 2025.
The expansion is a continuation of the Breach storyline. Players align with the monk Ailith to fight the new threat of the Hiveborn, who are building structures across Wraeclast.
The most significant QoL changes include Mass Item Identification (no Scrolls of Wisdom needed), instant refunds for the entire Passive and Atlas Trees using gold, and the implementation of Asynchronous Trading via Merchant’s Tabs.
The league introduces the Genesis Tree – a second, mutable Atlas Passive Tree – which grows unique items and a new item class called Grafts (Breach-flesh appendages that fuse to your body).
Change Log
- 23.10.2025 - Path of Exile: Keepers of the Flame published.
- 25.10.2025 - Path of Exile: Keepers of the Flame updated.